AMA News
Synopsis — Executive Council Meeting, January 26, 1985
Attendance (meeting at AMA Headquarters, Reston, VA)
- Voting members:
- President: John Grigg, Lockport, NY
- Executive Vice President: Jim McNeill, Birmingham, AL
- Executive Director: John Worth, Fairfax, VA
- District I Vice President: Ed Izzo, Holliston, MA
- VP II: John Byrne, Bayside, NY
- VP III: Dave Brown, Hamilton, OH
- VP IV: Howard Crispin, Charlottesville, VA
- VP V: Bill Mathews, Birmingham, AL
- VP VI: Bob Underwood, St. Louis, MO
- VP VII: Peter Waters, Northville, MI
- VP VIII: Johnny Clemens, Dallas, TX
- VP IX: Travis McGinnis, Arvada, CO
- VP X: Jim Scarborough, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
- VP XI: Ed McCollough, Portland, OR
- E. V. Langworthy, National Aeronautic Association
- Also present:
- Don Krafft, Associate VP (District I)
- District IV AVPs: George Myer, Charles Spear
- AMA executive staff present:
- Giesele Jackson, Comptroller
- Carl Wheeley, AMA Publisher
- Vince Mankowski, Nats General Manager
- Geoff Styles, Public Relations Director
- Micheline Madison, Competitions Department Director
- Carol Merfeld, AMA Membership Director
- Carl Maroney, Special Services Director
- Bob Vojslavek, Administration Services
- Doug Pratt, Special Projects Director
- Lou Ward, PR Department Secretary
- Guests:
- Tom Miller, Lillian Worth, Louise Izzo, Barbara Krafft, Mr. and Mrs. Jay Gerber
Minutes: A copy of the official minutes may be obtained upon request from AMA HQ. Minutes will be available approximately May 1 and will become official after review at the next Council meeting (April 20).
Key actions and announcements
- The President welcomed newly elected District VII Vice President Peter Waters and made general announcements. Voting members were cautioned not to infringe on Contest Boards' authority when handling related agenda issues.
- Dave Platt was appointed Chair of the Scale Contest Board.
- The feasibility of establishing an Electric Contest Board was approved as an agenda item for the April Council meeting.
- John Guenther's request that AMA send a letter of thanks to management of Tom Sawyer State Park (Kentucky), site of the Scale Team Selection Finals, was approved.
- Concerns were raised about delinquent appointments to the Scale Team Selection Committee by several districts. VPs explained extensive searches had failed to produce volunteers; the Special Interest Group for Scale was invited to suggest appointments. Meanwhile, Jim Scarborough appointed Earl Thompson as the District X representative to the committee.
- Ed Izzo announced his retirement. Until the normal election cycle, he appointed Don Krafft as Vice President pro tem for District I. Izzo’s resignation created a vacancy on the Nats Steering Committee to be filled by presidential appointment; Johnny Clemens was named chairman.
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I. Previous Meeting Minutes
The minutes of the previous Executive Council meeting (October 20, 1984) were approved as amended by written Council input (one negative vote — District XI).
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II. Executive Vice President's Report
Jim McNeill reviewed the Administrative Services Department at AMA Headquarters, detailing internal operations and responsibilities, which include receptionist, mail clerk, film/photocopy clerk, building manager and the director of the department. Bob Vojslavek was commended as an able manager; his duties include negotiating contracts, building maintenance, procurement of office supplies, and capital equipment management.
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III. Vice President Reports — Paris CIAM Meeting
Three vice presidents who attended the December CIAM meetings in Paris reported being impressed with the Technical Subcommittee sessions, which provide a forum for identifying technical problems and formulating positions for the plenary meeting.
Points raised:
- Delegates are well respected in technical sessions, but that influence appears to diminish in the plenary sessions, where there is more resistance to American initiatives.
- CIAM conducts meetings differently than AMA — for example, CIAM does not deliberate budgetary topics in the same way, though it does monitor world championship entry fees.
- The Council discussed improving U.S. effectiveness in plenary sessions and working relations with international representatives.
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Museum Hours for 1985 through May
Geoffrey Styles, Director of Public Relations
To accommodate requests from clubs and members for weekend visits to the National Center for Aeromodeling, several AMA staff have volunteered to staff the Museum on Saturdays from March 2 through May 15, 1985.
- Hours: Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Exception: March 30 — staff will be at the Toledo R/C Show and the Museum will be closed to the public.
Members and their families are encouraged to visit during these hours. The schedule is firm; the National Center looks forward to visitors.
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Serious, with a Bit of Humor
A recent small claims court case in Ohio involved a crash during a test flight. Customarily, owners accept responsibility for damage when lending aircraft for test flights, but in this case the owner sued the pilot. The judge found both parties negligent and split the award and court costs between them. The amusing postscript: the judge, who had recently built a model, then asked the pilot to test-fly it — and the pilot requested a signed agreement that the judge would accept responsibility for any loss. Lesson: when test-flying someone else’s aircraft, obtain a written agreement specifying responsibility.
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New AMA Travel Service
AMA now has a travel service located in the AMA headquarters building (Reston, VA). The service is provided by Nino diRonza, an AMA member and former TWA staffer who is Executive Director for Marketing at Fairfax Travel. Nino assisted the U.S. Scale team with travel arrangements when with TWA and is experienced handling large model boxes.
- No added cost to use the agency’s services; the agent can often find lower rates and provides specialized knowledge of modeler needs.
- Phone: (703) 471-0105.
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II District Report — John Byrne (District II)
John Byrne 36‑29 213 Street, Bayside, NY 11361 Phone: (718) 225‑8319
Associate Vice Presidents:
- Pete Bianchini, Yonkers, NY
- Tom Brown, APO NY
- Frank Costello, Dover, NJ
- Frank Dresch, Piscataway, NJ
- Ray Kukich, New Hyde Park, NY
- Hank Lucas, Toms River, NJ
- Adam Stalter, Latham, NY
- Lon Sauter, Phoenix, NY
Frequency Coordinator:
- George Myers, Hicksville, NY
Highlights:
- Reminiscence and tribute to Carl Goldberg, celebrating his innovations (notably the crescent-wing indoor design) and his recent passing; Byrne presented a Howard G. McEntee award on behalf of the WRAM club.
- Radio frequency interference concerns: PARCS (Floyd Bennett Field) reports hobby shop sales of radio gear on improper frequencies causing interference with aircraft. Byrne reproduces a supportive letter from the Nassau Racing Association demonstrating cooperation between car racers and model aircraft clubs in managing radio frequencies.
- Cradle of Aviation museum (Mitchel Field) will host a static model airplane show May 18–19; clubs in the Long Island area are requested to participate and form planning committees.
- "Lens‑Errant" photo notes: local field visits and imagery; examples noted from Floyd Bennett Field.
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VI District Report — Bob Underwood (District VI)
Bob Underwood 4109 Concord Oaks Dr., St. Louis, MO 63128 Phone: (314) 487‑1957
Associate Vice Presidents:
- Loren Holm, Quincy, IL
- William Kern, Bedford, IN
- Raymond Meyers, Smithville, MO
- William G. Snavely, Auburn, IN
- Stan Watson, Hazel Crest, IL
- Bill Zimmer, Varna, IL
Frequent Correspondent:
- James A. Check, Lexington, KY
Highlights:
- Bob Underwood announced his forthcoming move to the Reston, VA area to assume the reinstated position of Technical Director at AMA Headquarters (targeted for June after the school term). He outlined plans for technical/educational programs, "tech tapes," competition tools (official score sheets), rulebook clarifications, and safety improvements.
- Local club news: reports on injuries, field activity, photo reports from Rantoul AFB, and small-club items.
- A humorous piece on wind vs. ground: wind is a friend, ground is the problem — fly safely.
- Club newsletter commendations: several district newsletters receive specific praise for quality and content.
- AMA All‑Weather Patch: Underwood summarized the application process and criticized aspects of its administration, particularly certification and workload for district officers.
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VII District Report — Peter Waters (District VII)
Peter Waters 117 E. Main, Upper Level, Northville, MI 48167 Phone: Days (313) 348‑0085; Evenings (313) 437‑4242
Associate Vice Presidents:
- Arthur A. Arno, Ann Arbor, MI
- Boyd Bondy, Golden Valley, MN
- Jack Finn, Cedar Rapids, IA
- Russell Kmetzger, Milwaukee, WI
- Robert L. Lundberg, Duluth, MN
- Carl Mohr, Madison, WI
- William Rohing, St. Joseph, MI
- Ron Sears, Pontiac, MI
Frequency Coordinator:
- Pete Waters (same address/phones)
Highlights:
- Winter and swap-meet observations: increase in finished models for sale; continued activity at regional swap meets.
- CompuServe: Waters and several AMA officers are on CompuServe and expect to form an AMA SIG for member communication and faster correspondence (Waters’ ID: 70047,2162).
- AMRCC meeting in February produced an events list; Waters will provide copies on request (SASE).
- AMA "All‑Season" patch information: application process and cost ($2.50); official forms distributed to AVPs. Local suggestions for distribution and recognition patches for active women fliers ("Ladybirds").
- Club roundups and newsletter praise: multiple clubs and newsletters in the district were singled out for good work and creative features.
- Practical suggestions: clubs should order AMA membership applications in quantity if needed for recruitment and renewals.
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XI District Report — Ed McCollough (District XI)
Ed McCollough 53 S.E. 61st Ave., Portland, OR 97215
Associate Vice Presidents:
- Al Culver, Wilder, ID
- Gary R. Fuller, Juneau, AK
- Don McKenzie, Great Falls, MT
- Dave Mullins, Seattle, WA
- Bruce Nelson, Spokane, WA
- Dick Wilbur, Klamath Falls, OR
- Chick Young, Puyallup, WA
- Don Zigney, Redmond, WA
Zone Coordinator:
- Robert Balch, Portland, OR — Phone: (503) 761‑5103
District news and events:
- Awards: Mike Freeman (Tacoma) was named Fellow of the Academy for long and dedicated service (notably running Nats computer operations). The Mount Rainier RC Society received the Award of Excellence for its model expo and sustained service to modelers.
- Contest schedules and events:
- Free Flight: indoor meets at South Albany High gym (March 17, April 21).
- Control Line: Drizzle Circuit final race (April 14, Delta Park, Portland); Northwest Regional CL Championships (May 25–26, Eugene).
- RC Soaring: Richland contest (April 13–14), Missoula event (April 27–28), NWOSS May Fly at Redmond (May 4–5), Tercel contest at Mt. Vernon (May 18–19).
- Racing: F‑500 pylon at Kent (April 7); MRRC events at Toledo (April 20–21); F‑500 Champs at Kent (May 5); Big Super Sports at Keizer (May 18).
- Scale: Scale Fly‑in and 4‑Stroke Rally at Kent (May 11); Idaho Scale Squadron at Boise (May 19).
- Seaplane Spring Opener (April 21) at OMSA pond near Banks, OR.
- Volcano Fun‑Fly (May 18–19) near Zillah, WA — family weekend with camping and contests.
- Regional notes: several clubs and volunteers organizing meets and shows; encouragement to participate and support local events.
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End of report.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
